Rupp wins USATF Athlete of the Week for third time in 2014

6/4/2014

INDIANAPOLIS -- Galen Rupp earns his third USA Track and Field Athlete of the Week nod of 2014 after dominating the 10,000 meters at the Nike Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field Friday, May 30.

Rupp (Portland, Ore.) crushed his own American record of 26:48.00 before a “Distance Night” record crowd of 7,500. He stayed with the pack for the majority of the race before cranking it up the last 800 meters to take the title and the record in 26:44.36.

“I was just elated,” Rupp said. “I was really coming in here and looking at it as a good opportunity to run a 10K and work on my tactics. I didn’t want to just look at it as a chance to run a good time. It’s more about what’s going to help me through next year and 2016.”

A six-time U.S. champion in the 10,000m, Rupp is also the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the event.

Rupp also won USATF Athlete of the Week in consecutive weeks January 22 and 29. Rupp shattered the two-mile indoor record in 8:07.41 during Boston University’s Terrier Classic, held Saturday, Jan. 25. The previous week, Rupp broke the American record in the indoor men’s 5,000 meters, finishing in 13:01.26 at the Boston University Multi-Team Meet.

Other top performers included:

Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco, Calif.), who set an American record in the women's two-mile at Prefontaine with a 9:20.25 to place fourth. Rowbury executed an impressive final 100 meters, holding on to break the previous record of 9:21.35, set by Amy Rudolph back in 1998.

Tori Bowie (Sandhill, Miss.) smashed her lifetime best in the 200m with a world-leading 22.18 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic

Will Claye (San Diego, Calif.) also broke the meet record in the triple jump with a personal-best 17.66m/57-11.25.

Aleec Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) of USC ran the fastest U.S. time of the year in the 110m hurdles with a 13.18 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Maria Michta (Nesconset, N.Y.) won the USATF 5 km race walk championship in Albany, New York, with an American record unofficially in 21:57, which is under 22:15 from Debbi Lawrence in 1991​.

Now in its 13th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on www.usatf.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.